Lock and Key
by Feverdream84
Summary: When you have nothing to lose, how far will you go to fight back? This was a question Kate would continue to ask herself. The Geckos were right there with her.


Kate plopped down on the beach and pulled the prepaid smart phone from her pocket. It had been one of the few luxuries Seth didn't complain about now that things had calmed down. She stared down at the black screen and took a sip of beer. She didn't know why she was so nervous. Where the sudden anxiety came from?

She had been laying low with Seth Gecko for a year a half now. The night they escaped the twister they got drunk and cried but that was it. Cry it out and move forward. Seth's goal was to head west and not look back. After three days they could smell the Pacific Ocean.

Kate would often grieve her father in secret while walking alone on the beach at night. She'd let the tears slip silently while Seth was sleeping in the bed across from hers. But much like Seth she tried her best to never looked back. Call it self preservation. So much had happened. Kate knew it would be too painful to look back and see she had missed out on and the things she would never have again.

One of those things was Kyle, the boy she left behind in Texas. The last time she saw him they had a fight and he hit her dad but that one in c I dent didn't erase all the good times. She knew she was only a memory now. It would sting to see him posing next to a different girl at prom but it didn't matter.

She turned the screen in and googled him. She took another sip of beer at the screen loaded. As she focus back in the phone her stomach dropped. From the top of the screen read the following. "Bethel teen found dead", "Killer still at large for HWY 83 murder" "Boy found dead, bizarre cause of death".

It was as if someone had stolen the air from her lung. She couldn't believe what she was reading. All the dates where the same day that she last saw Kyle. No. It isn't true, it can't be. She jumped up from the sand knocking over her beer as she frantically scrolled through the sites. Finally she found his Facebook account. She tapped it. It was public thank The Lord. She closed her eyes as it loaded praying this wasn't true. It couldn't be. She was going to look down and see that he was excited about his first winter break back from college. Maybe he posting a couple grad pics or him on the boat with their friends. This isn't happening, it's not real. She silently begged to god it was all a dream.

Sometimes being ignorant to things is best. When Kate finally mustered the courage to look down the phone her heart broke. her knees gave way and her butt dropped back onto the sand. There before her, on the tiny glowing screen solidified everything. Kyle's mother posted a grim but grateful "thank you" message on his wall to all the people that had given their condolences throughout the year.

Kate felt the familiar sting of tears, her mouth felt dry and her heart was pounding. Why had she looked. She wanted to throw her phone in the ocean be instead pick up the half full bottle next to her and heaved it into the water.

Suddenly feeling completely drained she didn't want sleep on the beach so she got up and walked slowly back to the room where Seth had been cleaning his guns. She knew she ought to pull herself together but the hot streams running down her cheeks betrayed her. Finally making it to their door she shoved her phone back in her pocket and wiped her cheeks.

The room was well lit and the tv was playing an old western dubbed in Spanish. Seth had situated himself at the table. Guns, cleaning supplies and beer bottles covered the table. He didn't look up when Kate sat down at the foot of the bed closest to him.

"Have you eaten? If not, I got you a burrito when I was out. It's in the fridge if you want it."

Kate didn't turn to look at Seth. She just stared at the tv. A minute passed and Seth finally looked up from his work.

"Kate". He said with a little authority and irritation.

She straighten with a jolt and looked over at him a little unfocused. "Yes, thanks. Sorry I'm just a little out of it."

Seth's brow furrow as he studied her. Her eyes were red and a little mascara had settled under her lower lashes.

He looked back down at the small handgun, smoothing a spot of oil into the barrel.

"Something going on?" He asked easily enough, though wanting a real answer.

She shook her head. _Please just leave it. Just look the other way._

"Bullshit."

Kate flashed him a harsh glance not even turning to look at his reaction.

"I don't want to talk about it." She spit out each word.

"It's those assholes down at the cantina again isn't it?"

Seth didn't wait for her to answer. He hurriedly wiped off his revolver and began loading it.

"I guess the first warning wasn't clear enough."

He stood up and shove the gun behind in the waistband of his jeans.

Still in shock, it didn't connect until Seth started towards the door. Kate's head shot up as he passed her.

"Seth, wait!"

Seth turned to Kate impatiently. "What?"

"Those guys weren't bugging me again, they're fine."

"Well then can you tell me what the fuck is going on? You're not fine! It's obvious you've been crying. Why can't you just spit it out already?"

His attitude wasn't helping. She shot him a glare that shut his mouth tight.

"Because you hate talking about stuff like this! Feelings! The past!" She folded her arms defensively and stared at the sliding glass door opposite of him. "You'd probably think I'm stupid for being upset but not I'm you Seth. I can't be hard all the time. I can't bury hurt as easily as you can. At least not when it's this fresh."

A look of hurt flashed across Seth's face. She knew it was all survival for him, as it had always been. It still didn't make what she said any less true. He let out a deep sigh, removed the gun from his pants and set it down near the TV. Casually taking a seat next to Kate rested his elbows on his knees, eye never leaving wood floor. A minute passed before he broke the silence.

"Come on Princess, what is it?"

She gnawed on her lip for a moment her hands now fidgeting in her lap. Seth didn't look at her but cover her hands with a warm palm. She looked away and said the words she would hate to say out loud.

"Kyle's dead."

She looked back at Seth. He was looking at her now. His face had gone completely blank.

"Who the fuck is Kyle?"

Kate tried to suppress the flare of irritation at flat, direct tone. Of course that would be his response. Seth hadn't known a thing about Kate's past. For them it was as if life started when they hopped into that little black coupe. Nevertheless the harshness of his questions flared something in Kate.

"He was me fucking boyfriend! At least he was before my dad packed us in that grubby old RV and tore us from our lives!"

Kate was seething now. All the emotions he had been trying to hold back broke like a dam and overpowering any resolve she might have shot up from the bed and started pacing around the room.

"To make matters worse he was murdered on the same day he tried help me escape my dad and Scott...Don't look at me like that, my dad totally had me freaked out with the spontaneous vacay to Mexico".

Seth just sat there and blinked. He was trying to process what she was saying.

"Well Richie and I didn't have anything to do with it. We didn't-"

"Please don't get so defensive. I wasn't even going there." She stopped pacing.

"From what the news article reported it sounded like he was drained. People are accusing some demonic cult but as we both know it's probably not the case".

"A culebra?"

Kate nodded and returned to her spot, sinking down into the bed and stared at the ceiling. Fresh tears threatened to spill.

"Why would someone want Kyle dead? He never did anything. He had nothing to do with this."

Seth watched her in silence as a tear rolled down the side of her face.

"Just when I thought they couldn't take anything else, that couldn't inflict more pain, they find a way." She sighed and sat up to face Seth. "I want them dead Seth. All of them."

Seth stiffened at her words. she had defended herself in the past of course but it was completely out of Kate's character to seek out a fight.

"No more hiding Seth, we've been laying low long enough. I know we've been safe in this town but we can't stay. We need to get back out there. We need to fight and they need to pay.

Seth gave her a half hearted smile as he smooth the salty steak from her face.

"Preachin to the choir sweetheart."


End file.
